Operating for decades without any modern networking technologies, Allied Tube & Conduit decided to deploy a pure ProCurve Networking by HP infrastructure that supports 1500 users in 40 locations. Based on the ProCurve Adaptive EDGE Architecture™, Allied's network offers exceptional product reliability and functionality as well as flexibility to augment the network as the company grows. Allied has already utilized the ProCurve infrastructure to implement robust wireless solutions for inventory tracking and security surveillance. The company is very happy with its network and plans to employ ProCurve solutions well into the future.

Allied Tube & Conduit has always been a pioneer in the galvanized steel tubing industry, developing new technologies and processes that produce better tubular products at faster rates. However, as recently as 1999, the company had no local area network (LAN), no email capabilities and no Internet access for its employees. The executive management at Allied realized the company needed to catch up with the times if it was to survive in today's marketplace, and therefore hired Senior Network Engineer Rob Guthrie to find an optimal solution.

"When I arrived in 1999, the technology within Allied that was not dedicated to steel tube production was pretty ancient," said Guthrie.

With more than 4 million square feet of warehouse and production space, six manufacturing facilities and numerous other administrative and sales sites, Guthrie had a significant task at hand. He needed to implement a robust network infrastructure that would unify the organization, not overextend Allied's modest technology budget and resources, offer exceptional manageability and functionality and be able to grow with the burgeoning company.

After a thorough investigation, he narrowed the search for a networking vendor down to two finalists. "ProCurve flat-out 'wowed' us," he indicated.

The initial price tag of products and installation was not exceedingly dissimilar. What really piqued Guthrie's concern was the approximate $45,000 per year in ongoing costs, licenses and upgrades the competitive solution would have required.

"With everything else being relatively equal, it was as close to a no-brainer as you can get. ProCurve was clearly the best option for us across the board, from cost to service to performance to flexibility," he said. "And I have not regretted the decision for one second."

In addition to total cost of ownership, Guthrie raves about ProCurve's customer service and product warranty.

"ProCurve customer support is world class, bar none," he insisted. "We've only had a few minor problems, but in those rare instances we've had a ProCurve support engineer on the phone with us immediately and a new product on our doorstep the next morning."

Guthrie has also been ecstatic with the ProCurve products themselves. "They perform flawlessly, allowing me to dedicate my staff to other things. Network uptime has been phenomenal. In fact, I take my ProCurve solution for granted. It just runs and runs and runs."

Today, every Allied Tube & Conduit site employs a pure ProCurve network infrastructure based on the Adaptive EDGE Architecture, which provides continuous command from the center of the network coupled with added intelligence at the edge where users connect and policies are enforced. Control to the edge provides the network infrastructure secure, robust functionality to support today and tomorrow's applications and traffic types while ensuring secure and appropriate access for Allied's employees and guests. What started with 800 users in 10 Allied locations has expanded to 1500 users in 40 locations throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Brazil.

"I don't want to sound cliché, but choosing ProCurve was one of the best decisions I've made in my career," Guthrie said candidly.

Although product functionality and financial considerations were significant factors in the initial decision to choose ProCurve, Guthrie knew the flexible nature of the Adaptive EDGE Architecture would provide ample benefits in the future. Since ProCurve products are based on industry standards and able to interoperate with third party solutions, Allied has the capacity to evolve its infrastructure as the company grows and new technologies emerge.

Indeed, the flexibility of Allied's ProCurve infrastructure has already paid significant dividends. When the company's manufacturing division requested a more efficient means to collect and track data, Guthrie implemented a wireless solution that utilizes the ProCurve 520wl Wireless Access Points. Full-featured dual-radio access points ideally suited for large or extended WLAN deployments, the 520wls offer a cost-effective means to deploy any combination of 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g wireless networks.

By using the ProCurve Mobility Infrastructure with wireless handheld bar scanners, the company has dramatically increased its efficiency in tracking inventory, incoming supply deliveries and outgoing product shipments.

"Wireless should be extremely difficult in our environments," Guthrie explained. "Warehouses stocked with huge stacks of steel and piping creates some obvious challenges when dealing with wireless. But with ProCurve's Mobility Infrastructure, we have had excellent coverage and zero problems."

The flexibility of the ProCurve Adaptive EDGE Architecture also proved invaluable when Allied's surveillance system lease expired. As the company discussed renewing its lease, Guthrie made an informal call to his ProCurve representative to ask about IP-based network cameras.

"I was pleasantly surprised when I was told we could use our existing ProCurve Mobility Infrastructure to implement an entirely new and vastly improved surveillance system. We only needed a few more access points," he noted.

Allied's security personnel now utilize personal data assistants (PDAs) with wireless cards to monitor the company's new IP-based network cameras. They are able to monitor any area of their facilities with real-time video on their PDAs. In the past, security personnel needed to be in a particular room watching a particular video screen to monitor specific areas or react to alarms. Today, they are able to work beyond the surveillance room to provide better, more responsive security services.

"To purchase the entire system—access points, cameras, PDAs and installation—cost less than one additional year of lease from our surveillance vendor," said Guthrie. "Our wireless bar scanners and IP-based cameras are perfect examples of how we were able to use the ProCurve infrastructure to easily and affordably deploy two solid, entirely new network systems."

• ProCurve's unmatched reliability has provided Allied Tube & Conduit with exceptional network uptime, enabling the information services team to focus on other areas of need.
• ProCurve has supplied Allied Tube & Conduit with superior total cost of ownership, from initial product purchase and installation to ongoing technical support and product warranties. When Allied has a problem, a ProCurve support engineer is ready to assist and replacement products arrive the next business day.
• Allied Tube & Conduit utilized its existing ProCurve backbone to implement robust wireless solutions for inventory tracking and security surveillance. These new wireless capabilities have been remarkably affordable, easy to deploy and easy to use.

When you are ready to explore the benefits a ProCurve Networking solution can offer you, call HP at 1-800-975-7682.

To learn more about ProCurve Networking's Adaptive EDGE Architecture™ solutions, visit our home page.

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